Paddington Police Station

Murad Qureshi: What are the plans for Paddington Green Police station particularly in the short-term?

The Mayor: Paddington Green Police Station was disposed of on 23 July 2020 to Berkeley Homes (Central London) Limited. The expected future use of the site is residential.

Social rent caps

Murad Qureshi: How are you working with housing associations and local authorities to ensure that new social lettings do not exceed the Government's social rent cap? Recent research has show that in some boroughs, the average weekly social rent of newly let social homes by Private Registered Providers exceed the social rent cap by more than £18 per week for a two-bedroom home.

The Mayor: I am committed to increasing the supply of homes for low-cost rent, including those for social rent. Regulation of the Rent Standard is the responsibility of the Regulator of Social Housing (RSH) and the RSH’s approach to issuing regulatory notices, including in cases where there is a finding of a breach of the Rent Standard, is outlined in Regulating the Standards.

Huawei

Andrew Dismore: What impact does the government’s decision to exclude Huawei from rolling out 5G services and their involvement in 4G have on the overdue and over budget development of the Emergency Services Network, and on ensuring inter-service operability?

The Mayor: The Emergency Service Network (ESN) Programme is a Home Office led project and an official statement on Huawei is expected in the coming weeks. In the meantime, London Fire Brigade and the Metropolitan Police have had discussions through the Programme Board and understand that the removal of Huawei equipment from EE’s network is being managed and monitored closely to ensure any disruption to the build, or operation of ESN is avoided. The Home Office reports that it does not anticipate any impact on programme schedules. All ESN traffic is encrypted across the mobile network therefore the security risk during the transition period is minimal.

Shared ownership families

Murad Qureshi: While only a small proportion of shared ownership purchasers have children, do you have data (for example from the English Housing Survey), on what proportion of shared ownership households in London have children? If this data is available, could you break down what proportion of shared owners in London are overcrowded, what proportion have a spare room and what proportion are under-occupying (all according to the bedroom standard)?

The Mayor: The GLA does not hold any recent data on the proportion of existing shared ownership households in London with children, or the proportion of existing shared ownership households in London that are overcrowded or under-occupied.
The MHCLG COntinous REcording of Social Housing Lettings and Sales (CORE) dataset records data on the number of shared ownership purchasers in London who have children, however it does not provide data for existing shared ownership households.
The MHCLG English Housing Survey (EHS) dataset records information on overcrowding and under-occupation in existing households, however the sample size for shared ownership households in London is very small (around 20 survey cases a year) and any results derived from it would therefore not be representative.

Shared ownership sales (1)

Murad Qureshi: Paragraph 4.2 of your Intermediate Housing Research Note states there were 2,140 first tranche LCHO sales in London in 2018/19. MHCLG data shows that there were 2,731 LCHO completions in 2017/18 and 3,495 in 2018/19. How do you account for the gap between completions and sales?

The Mayor: The information referred to on low cost home ownership (LCHO) first tranche sales is taken from the Statistical Data Return (SDR) dataset 2018 to 2019, which is published by the Regulator of Social Housing (RSH).
The GLA has contacted the RSH to enquire further about the data release. The RSH has confirmed this data covers activity by larger Private Registered Providers (PRPs) only, and not smaller PRPs who own less than 1,000 social homes. In addition, sales rates may not always match completion figures due to factors such as fluctuating buyer demand, delays in bringing units to market and the time taken to finish a sale.

Better Futures Businesses

Susan Hall: How many businesses have benefitted from the Better Futures Programme?

The Mayor: Launched in 2017, Better Futures is a six-year programme that aims to give over 150 SMEs access to the technical and business expertise that will help them optimise prototypes and services for the market and develop their business for growth investment.
To date, a total of 298 businesses have expressed interest in joining the Better Futures programme. 165 of these were found to be ineligible. 121 London-based cleantech businesses have registered on the programme and have accessed one or more elements of support including innovation support or advice, support to develop a product or service, or collaboration with an academic institution.

Better Futures Programme Funding

Susan Hall: How much funding have you put into the Better Futures Programme and of that funding, how much has been allocated and unallocated?

The Mayor: Better Futures is a £4.26m programme, led by the GLA in partnership with leading cleantech organisations from the public and private sectors in London. The project is part-funded (50%) by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), with the GLA and the programme delivery partners providing match funding.
The GLA has committed a total of £415,596 match funding to this programme from February 2017 to December 2022 all of which has been allocated for forecasted expenditure and £228,039 of which has been spent to 30th June 2020.

London Waste and Recycling Board Press Officers

Shaun Bailey: How many press officers did the London Waste and Recycling Board employ in the 2019/20 year and what was the total cost of this?

The Mayor: The London Waste and Recycling Board (LWARB) is a statutory Board established by the GLA Act 2007. LWARB is a partnership of the Mayor of London and the London boroughs to improve waste and resource management and provides operational and behaviour change support to London’s waste authorities.
It also delivers borough-level and London-wide communications support through campaigns such asLondon Recycles,Small Change Big Difference, and#LoveNotLandfill.
LWARB does not employ any designated Press Officers. Two members of the Communications and Behaviour Change Team carry out press related duties, which account for around 15% of one FTE. The total cost of this was £10,800.

London Power targets

Caroline Russell: The first quarterly report from London Power was released in August 2020 with 2,920 homes powered so far. What is your target for the next quarter?

The Mayor: We do not have a target number of customers for each quarter. We will evaluate the performance of London Power once we have a year’s worth of data – we require a year’s worth of data before we can evaluate uptake with any confidence, as rates of switching vary throughout the year. Energy switching in general reduced during the lockdown as energy suppliers including London Power reduced marketing efforts while the public’s focus was elsewhere.

Glyphosate use by the GLA

Caroline Russell: Could you update me on work the Mayor has done to implement the recommendations of the London Assembly motion on glyphosate use, which was agreed unanimously in July 2019, calling on the Mayor to cease the use of this herbicide on GLA land and the Transport for London (TfL) estate?

The Mayor: TfL is continuing to explore viable alternatives for controlling vegetation in safety critical locations such as cable runs, trackside components and signalling equipment.
London Underground is continuing to trial electrocides. This is still relatively new technology and is currently not suitable for use on ballasted track and will require further development to allow for complete replacement of herbicides.
On the Transport for London Road Network (TLRN) glyphosate use has been reduced from 6 to 2 sprays per year in locations where maintenance of sight-lines is essential; and on the tram network glyphosate is applied through selective hand-spraying only. Acetic acid is now being trialled as an alternative.
There is minimal use of glyphosate by other Functional Bodies. The GLA Environment Team are reviewing the process to ensure best practice is shared to minimise and eventually eliminate its use.

Chiswick Police Station

Caroline Pidgeon: Will you work with the Met to keep Chiswick Police station open permanently, given the legal success in 2018 to keep Wimbledon police station open and a current local petition against the station’s closure, which has gained nearly 1000 signatures?

The Mayor: Following the announcement of the national uplift of 20,000 police officers, the Metropolitan Police Service is reviewing its estates strategy, including in relation to Chiswick Police Station. After the allocation of an initial tranche of 1,369 officers to London the Government has been far too slow to identify the further allocations of officers and the funding necessary to support this uplift. This is delaying the certainty which can be obtained from the review.

The Transcribing of Police Interviews

Caroline Pidgeon: Please provide details of how many hours officers have spent transcribing police interviews over the last 5 years, broken down by year and interview location e.g. interview suite, scene of crime, body worn device etc?

The Mayor: The Met does not record this data.

Consideration of Automated Transcription Technology within the Met

Caroline Pidgeon: Has the Met considered the potential benefits of automated police transcription technology? Please provide information on any work the Met has done to investigate the benefits of such technology in their work.

The Mayor: The Met informs me that it continually scans the market for possibilities to improve efficiency. It has identified products that can transcribe, but to date it has not found a product that can transcribe to the quality required for ‘evidential’ purposes.

Camden Safer Neighbourhood Board Funding

Andrew Dismore: Camden SNB have received a letter from MOPAC informing them that there is a review of “discretionary” expenditure, and that they should not commit to any expenditure. It is 5 months into their financial year, and bad practice for a public body to approve a grant, send out an approval letter and agreement only to withdraw the offer of funding. Will you commit to fund the vital work of the Safer Neighbourhood Boards?

The Mayor: Public engagement is, and will continue to be, an important aspect of the work of both MOPAC and the Met Police. As a result of the unprecedented effects of Covid19, like many other organisations, MOPAC is prioritising funding to respond to the crisis and support our most vulnerable citizens. As a matter of urgency, officers are working to establish the new demands on City Hall, the police and victims’ services and as part of that are reviewing all discretionary funding streams. Officers are of course, working to resolve these matters as quickly as possible and continue to update Safer Neighbourhood Boards on developments.

Appropriate Adult provision

Keith Prince: How do you square off the requirement for Appropriate Adults to be independent of the Police whilst MOPAC now intend to fund their provision?

The Mayor: Appropriate Adults (AAs) have an important role to play in the custody environment by ensuring that detained children and adults at risk understand what is happening to them and why. The joint approach has enabled MOPAC, the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS), NHS England and local authorities to work together to develop the core service specification to ensure a more consistent level of service. Funding has been provided by MOPAC, MPS and NHS England to local authorities who then commission and manage the AA services ensuring independence from the MPS.

Greener City Fund

Caroline Russell: MD2666 outlines changes you have made to the 2020-21 GLA: Mayor’s Budget. Within the recovery budget is £567,000 for the Greener City Fund. What will this money be used for, and what is the delivery timeline?

The Mayor: The £567,000 assigned to the Greener City Fund (community greening programme) within the recovery budget has been allocated to my new Grow Back Greener Fund.
COVID-19 has demonstrated how important London’s green spaces are to our health and wellbeing, and that not all Londoners are able to access these benefits in the same way. One in five households in London had no access to a private or shared garden during the COVID-19 lockdown.
The Grow Back Greener Fund will help tackle this inequality in access to green space. The fund will prioritise projects that benefit those who are less likely to access green space. including BAME, lower income Londoners and over-65, are in areas of the city that have poorer access to open space, especially areas of deprivation, and include opportunities for training or developing skills.
Applications opened in August, and projects supported through the fund will run from November 2020 until June 2021. Full details of the Grow Back Greener Fund are on my website at www.london.gov.uk/growbackgreener, and outlined in MD2665 which can be viewed here: https://www.london.gov.uk/decisions/md2665-community-greening-grants-2020-21.

Unlicensed Music Events

Joanne McCartney: What steps has the Met Police taken to stop and prevent unlicensed music events? How many such events have been reported to the police in Enfield & Haringey?

The Mayor: In order to stop and prevent unlicensed music events (UMEs), the MPS set up a dedicated response involving senior leaders from each borough and a central response overseen by experienced senior public order commanders. The MPS also briefed staff regarding their powers and the risks UMEs pose; increased local engagement; and worked with partners to identify and deter organisers. When the public have reported ongoing or planned UMEs, they have responded quickly with local officers. Additionally, the MPS and local authorities jointly agreed a UME protocol which has greatly facilitated multi-agency working on this matter. The early identification and attendance at UMEs have prevented many from escalating and has significantly reduced the demand posed by the increase of UMEs from the peak in mid-August.
During the period 25th June 2020 – 31st August 2020 the number of UME tagged incidents in Enfield and Haringey was 148. This does not, however, mean that there were 148 UMEs as a large proportion of the tagged incidents were not actually UMEs when attended and assessed by police.

Car Meets

Joanne McCartney: What recent action has been taken by the Met Police against illegal car meets? There has been a number of events that have happened in my constituency, much to the distress of residents.

The Mayor: The Metropolitan Police Service's Roads Transport Policing Command (RTPC) is planning a taskforce to tackle the increasing problem of anti-social behaviour and dangerous driving which occurs at car meets.
Officers will use a range of tactics to combat this including the use of automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) cameras, tyre deflation systems, and dispersal zone orders under the Anti-Social Behaviour Act 2003.
Specially trained officers will be examining vehicles for road worthiness and compliance with construction and use regulations. This will include illegal window tints and non-conforming number plates. Removal trucks will also be on scene for the immediate confiscation of vehicles where appropriate and proportionate.

Electricity Supply to New Developments in the Royal Docks and Housing Developments Across London

Caroline Pidgeon: In Mayoral Decision 2655 you recently approved the use of up to £25.218 million to reinforce the electricity supply to the Royal Docks Enterprise Zone, which will include housing. What work is being done with developers and others to ensure new housing built in the Royal Docks area and across London is fitted with green technology such as solar panels, heat pumps, so that many of these homes can produce their own green energy and often supply electricity back to the National Grid?

The Mayor: We have worked with developers to understand their energy requirements as part of the Royal Docks electricity project. All developers of major sites submit energy strategies as part of their planning applications which show how they can meet the London & Local Plan requirements for energy use, reducing carbon impact and adopting a variety of energy technologies.

Increases in Bonfires Across Many Parts of London

Caroline Pidgeon: I have received reports from across London of increases in bonfires in recent weeks and months. This will, in part be due to it being the summer, but also because of lockdown and Covid-19. How are you working with local authorities across London to reduce bonfires, particularly in residential areas and during the day, to reduce disturbance for residents but also to protect our environment and air quality?

The Mayor: Unfortunately, we know that during the peak of the lockdown some areas stopped garden waste collections while they focussed on more critical services, giving rise to the temptation to burn gardening waste in a bonfire. I have provided guidance on the GLA website about this and information on composting to help Londoners do the right thing.
Waste centres have re-opened and Londoners should be able to do the right thing and dispose of their garden waste responsibly.
Local authorities and environmental health departments have been stretched over the summer with many officers re-deployed to help with the Covid-19 emergency response. The Boroughs have limited powers and resources to tackle waste burning. While I always encourage local authorities to respond appropriately to local air quality issues, the UK Government could help by devolving effective powers for London to tackle all sources of air pollution.

Unsafe Cladding

Florence Eshalomi: What can City Hall do to support Lambeth & Southwark leaseholders who are facing difficulties due to issues around unsafe cladding of their homes?

The Mayor: The GLA is delivering the Government’s Social Sector ACM Cladding Remediation Fund (SSCRF), Private Sector ACM Cladding Remediation Fund (PSCRF) and Building Safety Fund (BSF). My team is working closely with building owners to progress funding applications at pace. Unfortunately, these funding programmes are not of sufficient scale to cover all buildings with unsafe cladding and do not protect leaseholders from the cost of interim safety measures, therefore my team and I continue to lobby the Government to improve how leaseholders are supported.
The Homes for Londoners Board wrote to the Government about building safety in December 2019. This was followed up by another letter in February 2020. Unfortunately, the Secretary of State for Housing has yet to reply to either letter.
There is more information about the GLA’s role in building safety on our website, available at https://www.london.gov.uk/what-we-do/housing-and-land/building-safety-london.

Taser Gun Use by the MPS (2)

Jennette Arnold: Government scientists have warned that the Taser 7 Gun could lead to more suspects suffering internal injuries and broken bones. In addition they have also warned that passers-by now risk being hit by probes which inflict the electric shock as the Taser 7 allows them to detach from the gun after being fired[1]. Is this a suitable weapon for use by police in London?
[1] Scientific Advisory Committee on the Medical Implications of Less-Lethal Weapons (SACMILL) “Statement on the Medical Implications of the TASER 7™ Conducted Energy Device System” [Date accessed 25.08.20]

The Mayor: It is a decision for the Commissioner as to the suitability of this device for Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) operations. However, as with all use of force, it must be carefully monitored, with officers appropriately trained and only used where necessary.
I am informed by the Home Office that the Taser 7 is regarded as more accurate, faster and compact than existing models. The National Police Chiefs Council (NPCC) has said the new model passed rigorous independent scientific and technical assessments before being authorised by the Home Secretary and is much more reliable than older models. Officers have to demonstrate 100 per cent accuracy when handling the device in training before they can be authorised to carry the device.

Taser Gun 7 use by the MPS (1)

Jennette Arnold: Home Secretary Priti Patel has approved the Taser 7 gun for use by police forces in England and Wales. What evidence is there that the taser weapons currently in use by the MPS are not up to the job they do?

The Mayor: Police services are legally bound to explore alternatives to lethal force and continuously review new technology to see whether there are any developments that could be applied in UK policing.
I am informed by the Home Office that Taser 7 is more accurate, faster and compact than previous models – therefore better in its purpose of protecting the public and police. It will also reduce costs for forces by replacing disposable batteries with rechargeable ones. The National Police Chiefs Council (NPCC) has said the new model passed rigorous independent scientific and technical assessments before being authorised by the Home Secretary and is much more reliable than older models.

Environmental Impact of Working from Home

Caroline Pidgeon: It has been suggested that the savings on emissions from transport when working from home could be outweighed by the increased heating and light that people use at home. What work have you done on the environmental impact of working from home, both for GLA staff and businesses and organisations across London?

The Mayor: We do not have energy data related to changes in working patterns at present, though we are aware of reports of the possible impacts. I look forward to any research that the Committee on Climate Change or others undertake on this topic and will review it to assess the implications for London.
However, even before the increase in working from home it was clear that an urgent acceleration of housing retrofits is needed. I am strongly committed to improving the energy efficiency of London’s homes and accelerating the switch to low carbon heating. These are the two most important ways of reducing the emissions associated with our homes and therefore home working.
I have identified retrofitting as a priority for London’s recovery. It provides a significant potential for jobs, tackling carbon emissions, lowering bills, so helping tackle fuel poverty and creating healthier homes. In addition to my programmes, I will continue to lobby government for powers and a fair share of funding to deliver at greater pace.
The Committee on Climate Change and many others continue to urge the government to produce a strategy, regulations and sustained funds to stimulate the investment needed to decarbonise our buildings.

MPS Directorate of Professional Standards (2)

Jennette Arnold: Of these full and part time employees, how many are: (a) white (b) a non-white ethnicity (c) ethnicity is not recorded?

The Mayor: The ethnicity of these officers and staff is provided in the published MPS Workforce Report www.met.police.uk/sd/stats-and-data/met/workforce-data-report/

MPS Directorate of Professional Standards (1)

Jennette Arnold: How many people, both full time and part-time are employed by the Metropolitan Police Service's Directorate of Professional Standards (including both officers and police staff)?

The Mayor: The numbers of officers and staff within Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) departments are published in the MPS Workforce Report www.met.police.uk/sd/stats-and-data/met/workforce-data-report/
Numbers are provided as Full Time Equivalents (FTEs) and therefore encompass both full and part time staff.

The Green New Deal

Tony Arbour: Could the Mayor confirm how much of the £50 million announced in February 2020 to support the Green New Deal has been spent and what on?

The Mayor: I announced £50million over the next three years for a Green New Deal in February. The Green New Deal remains a priority of my administration. As you are aware, we have undergone budget reviews across all programme budgets in light of the pandemic crisis, which has delayed the deployment of the Green New Deal Fund. Plans are in development as part of my Green New Deal mission for committing the first £10 million allocation of funding in 2020/21.
When my Green New Deal Fund was announced I was clear it would be used to support action to tackle the climate emergency, create jobs and support a just transition. This is even more relevant today as we plan London’s post-coronavirus economic recovery.  While we have to take into account the financial challenges presented by Covid-19, a cleaner, greener recovery for London needs to support the transition of the economy to one that is inclusive, resilient, low carbon and circular, and my Green New Deal Fund is an important way to drive this.

Public Involvement in Met Action Plan

Unmesh Desai: Can you provide details of which organisations and communities have been engaged in the development of your plan to build wider trust and confidence in policing?

The Mayor: On the 5th June I convened an emergency roundtable with community leaders, youth groups and rights organisations to better understand what more we as a city can do to make changes that build on trust and confidence, transparency and accountant ability. From this starting point, and throughout the development of this cross-City Hall Plan over 300 people have been engaged through three interactive workshops, a community feedback session, youth workshop and victims’ roundtable.
The final list of community stakeholders will be published alongside the Plan.

New Met Officer Allocation

Unmesh Desai: When do you expect to find out how many officers will be allocated to the Met Police from the second tranche of the government’s ‘Be a force for all’ 20,000 officer recruitment initiative?

The Mayor: As yet we do not have confirmation of when we will find out our target from the Home Office. This lack of clarity by the Government is deeply frustrating. It means that the Metropolitan Police Service is unable to plan properly for its budget, estates and training needs in the medium term.

London Power

Shaun Bailey: How many households have now signed up to London Power?

The Mayor: We publish customer numbers quarterly, to balance protecting the commercial position of London Power against our desire to be as transparent as possible. At the end of June 2020, London Power had 2,920 customers on supply. We will publish our next quarterly update, covering July 2020 – September 2020, in October 2020.

GLA Grants

Shaun Bailey: Please provide a list of all developers who have received a grant from City Hall, the amount of the grant and for which purpose it was received?

The Mayor: Details of grant allocations are set out below:

Met Funding Shortfall

Unmesh Desai: What is the funding gap faced by the Met by the end of this financial year and in the next financial year? What impact could this have on officer numbers?

The Mayor: As per the Quarter 1 reporting, the current pressure faced by the Metropolitan Police Service is £19.1m. The link is included below. This is currently addressed through assessments of overtime and recruitment to bring spend down to an affordable level. In 2021/22 there is an expected reduction in funding for MOPAC and the Met of £63.8m and plans are currently being worked through to address this.
https://www.london.gov.uk/sites/default/files/q1_pack_performance_and_finance_18_aug_2020.pdf

Food waste

Leonie Cooper: You told me on July 19th that all Borough Reduction and Recycling Plans (RRPs) have been signed off. Have all Boroughs committed to segregated food waste collections and, if not, which Boroughs have not?

The Mayor: Proposal 7.2.1.a in my London Environment Strategy (LES) requires all London boroughs to collect as a minimum the six main dry recycling materials (glass, tins/cans, paper, card, mixed plastics and plastic bottles) from every property, and to collect food waste separately from properties with a kerbside collection.
24 boroughs already offer kerbside food waste collections. Nine boroughs do not currently offer separate food waste collections to households, sending household food waste to Energy from Waste or Landfill. These boroughs areBarking and Dagenham, Barnet, Hammersmith and Fulham, Havering, Kensington and Chelsea, Newham, Redbridge, Wandsworthand Westminster.
I am not able to direct authorities to undertake actions if they would contravene an existing contract or entail excessive additional cost. However, my officers have worked with these boroughs to set out in their Reduction and Recycling Plan (RRP) a commitment of how and when they will provide kerbside food waste services. Barnet have committed to reintroducing this service from April 2022. Kensington and Chelsea, Westminster and Hammersmith and Fulham RRPs were approved on condition of a commitment and clear road map of rollout following trials, ideally by 2022. Due to contractual restraints Wandsworth cannot introduce a food waste service before 2024 but have a trial planned within the RRP period.
The remaining boroughs, Barking and Dagenham, Havering, Newham and Redbridge are the constituent authorities of the East London Waste Authority (ELWA). There are contractual and technological constraints within the East London Waste Authority (ELWA)’s disposal contract which mean the potential for significant service change to waste and recycling services in the four ELWA boroughs (Newham, Redbridge, Barking and Dagenham and Havering) is severely limited. We are aware of numerous contract reviews, both at the level of national government (DEFRA) and indeed constituent councils, that have found little to no latitude within the contract to alter this situation.
I am working with these boroughs to identify what other improvements can be made and all have produced RRPs which are focussed on making real improvements within their constraints.

New police officers demographic breakdown (2)

Jennette Arnold: Please provide a full demographic breakdown of all new officers recruited into the Met in the past 12 months.

The Mayor: The table below shows overall recruits for each month and the number of female and Black, Asian & Minority Ethnic (BAME) recruits.
Month
Total recruits
Female
BAME
Aug-19
315.0
115.0
70.0
Sep-19
410.0
130.0
72.0
Oct-19
425.0
120.0
82.0
Nov-19
512.2
152.2
94.0
Dec-19
31.0
5.0
4.0
Jan-20
503.0
161.0
79.0
Feb-20
395.0
125.0
72.0
Mar-20
404.6
122.0
71.0
Apr-20
467.0
147.0
63.0
May-20
459.2
156.8
79.0
Jun-20
293.4
99.0
44.0
Jul-20
359.0
134.0
66.0
I am aware that there is a need to look more closely at the overarching term ‘BAME’. Accordingly, my Office for Policing and Crime will work with the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) to provide a further breakdown of the BAME category into specific ethnicities in due course.

Diesel air pollution (1)

Leonie Cooper: Recent Environmental Defense Fund data identified 10 hotspots for pollution by diesel vehicles, two of which are in my constituency and all of which are outside the ULEZ. How will you be tackling diesel air pollution in town centre hotspots outside central London?

The Mayor: I am committed to cleaning up London’s toxic air. The central London Ultra Low Emission Zone has already dramatically improved air quality in central London. Next year expansion of the ULEZ to the North and South Circular roads and tighter emissions standards for the London-wide Low Emission Zone will extend these benefits London-wide.
King’s College estimated that when I became Mayor in 2016 it would have taken 193 years to meet legal NO2 limits. Thanks to my bold policies London will be within compliance within the next five years. But as laid out in my London Environment Strategy this will require implementation of Zero Emission Zones and local targeted measures at the last remaining hotspots.
TfL and the boroughs are already implementing targeted measures for localised air quality hotspots, including a series of Low Emission Neighbourhoods and Business Low Emission Neighbourhoods which tackle emissions at a local level through the Mayor’s Air Quality Fund.

Scheme to help rough sleepers with mental health needs

Susan Hall: How much of this £2.35m fund, announced in October 2019, has been spent to date, and how many people have been helped by this scheme? How much money remains in the fund? Has any of this funding been reallocated to other projects, and if so how much?

The Mayor: The full £2.35m fund is committed (see MD2481). The bulk of this funding is grant-funding four Mental Health Trust areas, covering 16 London boroughs, to assist people with mental health support needs who are sleeping rough. These are East London NHS Foundation Trust (ELFT), North East London NHS Foundation trust (NELFT), Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust (CNWL), and West London NHS Trust (WLFT). Each trust has developed their own specialist area team within their existing structures whose aims and objectives fit with those of the Mayor’s rough sleeping and mental health programme. These new teams, which are funded for two years, were mobilised by these trusts during the first three months of 2020. As of 30June, 192 people had been helped by the programme.

Homelessness Change

Susan Hall: How much of this £40m fund has been spent to date? How much money remains in the fund? Has any of this funding been reallocated to other projects, and if so how much?

The Mayor: As at 31 August 2020, c£32m of funding has been allocated through my Homelessness Change and Platform for Life programme to support delivery of c660 homes for people who become or are at risk of homelessness, including young people and victims of domestic abuse. Of the funding allocated, c£21m has been spent and c£8m remains to be allocated. None of the funding has been reallocated to other projects.

Renewable Energy

Tony Devenish: Please provide a comparison table with quantifiable numbers between the New York state USA programme of renewable energy measures versus the GLA's?

The Mayor: It is not possible to draw direct comparison between New York State’s programme of renewable energy measures versus that of the GLA. New York State as a federal devolved state with a population of over 19 million people and several cities including New York and Buffalo, has a very different and more extensive suite of powers (including making and enforcing laws) and resources than London, and a different level of jurisdiction. For example, it is one of 30 states that has a Renewable Portfolio Standard which provides a mandate to require utility companies to derive a certain percentage of electricity from renewable energy production, and under the recent State Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act, 70% of the state wide electricity demand must be met by renewable sources by 2030. In London, over 94% of energy demand is sourced from outside the city via the energy grid, and the Mayor has little control outside of procurement on the deployment of renewable energy outside of the city’s limits.

MOPAC Press Officers

Shaun Bailey: How many press officers did MOPAC employ in the 2019/20 year and what was the total cost of this?

The Mayor: MOPAC does not employ any press officers. Through a shared services agreement, press office services have been provided to MOPAC by the central GLA press office since 2013, for which MOPAC pays an annual contribution of £87,000.

Vehicle Stop and Search Demographics

Unmesh Desai: Please provide the ethnic breakdown of members of the public subjected to stop and searches following their vehicle being stopped in 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2020 to date.

The Mayor: The requested stop and search demographic data can be downloaded from the publicly available MPS Stop and search dashboard which can be found below: https://www.met.police.uk/sd/stats-and-data/met/stop-and-search-dashboard/
In order to download this dataset, the user will need to follow several straightforward steps. Access the ‘Search Proportionality’ tab of the dashboard. Click on the download option at the bottom of the page. Select ‘Data’ from the options table. Select ‘Full data’ from the ‘View data’ pop up. Finally select ‘Download all rows as a text file’. The requested data will then be available to view. The data includes the ‘subject’ of stop – which includes person, person & vehicle, and vehicle.
Stops of vehicles that do not result in searches are not recorded in the same manner. This is an area that I am exploring with the Metropolitan Police Service in the development of my Action Plan.

Energy providers

Tony Devenish: Do you as Mayor think it is morally right for a national energy provider operating in London to send the following letter to a long term homeowner- not a new home (I quote red title) “ We have a legal requirement to change your meter. Please contact us”. The letter says in a bold black box (which this homeowner finds sinister) “What happens if I don’t do anything about this letter? By law we have to come and change your meter. This work is very important to us and to you, helping to keep you safe.If we don’t hear from you, we’ll keep trying to contact you until your meter is changed”. Eon have contacted this person twice more and he was quite worried until he spoke to me. This appears to be as morally questionable as the BBC Licence team scaring senior citizens. Please raise with Eon and Ofwat and confirm it is the energy provider who is attempting to meet their legal obligations nationwide and make money, and that no domestic consumer is legally required to comply?

The Mayor: There are several reasons why an energy supplier might need to change a household meter – we would require more information about this case to understand the nature of the letter and request by E.ON before raising with E,ON and the regulator Ofgem. If it is regarding the national smart meter roll-out programme, then the householder does not need to have their meter changed for a smart meter if they do not wish to.
However, if the meter requires replacement for safety reasons, then the householder should allow this as soon as possible. We all know energy can be confusing, so it is important that energy providers give their customers the right support and information about why a meter may need to be replaced.

Legacy: Gangsters, Corruption and the Olympics

Tony Devenish: Journalist Michael Gillard, formerly of the Sunday Times published a book "Legacy: Gangsters, Corruption and the Olympics (2019). It makes disturbing reading, naming an "untouchable" criminal too dangerous for the Met to take on. Will you make representations to the Commissioner on these allegations?

The Mayor: The Met has operational independence around who it investigates, but no person or organisation is above the law and I expect the Met to investigate serious and organised crime without fear or favour.

Met Police investigation into the Grenfell Tower fire (2)

Andrew Dismore: How much has the Met spent on its investigation into the Grenfell Tower fire since its commencement?

The Mayor: Between June 2017 and May 2020, the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) has spent approximately £48m on its response to the Grenfell Tower fatal fire. £35.5m relates to police officer and police staff pay costs. £12.5m relates to a range of costs including forensics, premises, transport, public inquiry legal costs and other supplies and services.

Drug dealing

Tony Devenish: Will you join me in congratulating the Evening Standard on their exclusive ‘drug dealers use Instagram to target teens in the park '. What will you do in terms of a public information campaign to help London parents and employers stamp out this appalling use of social media?

The Mayor: I am absolutely committed to supporting communities in driving down online behaviour that fuels violence. This is why my Violence Reduction Unit is piloting a support programme for parents and carers that includes a strand focusing on raising their awareness of the dangers of social media and how it can lead to violence. Participants will learn to keep safe online and understand how social media can amplify tensions that can lead to violence, with the aim of becoming trained ‘internet citizens’.
In addition, in 2019 I launched the Social Switch Project together with Google to switch the narrative on how social media’s relationship to youth violence is understood, tackled and solved.The project contributes to the online safety of young people by:
This year alone, the programme has trained 40 young people as social media managers and 500 professionals, as well as funding 30 grassroots projects.

Met Police buildings

Tony Devenish: In your answer to me in question 2020/1199, you said that works are taking place to Met Police buildings to make them open plan, has this policy been reviewed in light of Covid19?

The Mayor: The MPS has made sure that all buildings open to officers and staff are Covid-19 secure. Future works on MPS buildings will take account of Covid-19 and new ways of working.

Met Police officer exit numbers

Tony Devenish: Please provide the Met Police officer exit numbers - retirement and resignation for May 2016 - May 2017 - May 2018 - May 2019 - May 2020.

The Mayor: Data for police officer attrition is shown in the table below. The table provides a monthly snapshot of 'full-time equivalent' (FTE) officer numbers. Ordinary retirement and voluntary resignation are highlighted in bold.
Police Officer Attrition
May-16
May-17
May-18
May-19
May-20
Ordinary Retirement
85.6
106.7
89.7
68.3
49.8
Medical Retirement
5.0
3.0
5.0
4.4
1.0
Voluntary Resignation
39.5
57.3
44.9
64.9
31.5
Joined other Police Force
32.8
29.9
14.0
23.3
27.8
Dismissed
3.0
1.4
5.0
1.0
4.0
Death
1.0
1.0
2.0
1.0
2.0
Services Dispensed With
0.0
0.0
0.0
1.0
0.0
Transferred to another Public Body
0.0
1.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
Total
166.9
200.3
160.6
163.9
116.1

Met Police investigation into the Grenfell Tower fire (3)

Andrew Dismore: How many officers has the Met currently engaged on its investigation into the Grenfell Tower fire?

The Mayor: The number of Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) staff working on the Grenfell Tower response has varied, dependent on the stage of the response and investigation.
In September 2020 there are 156 police officers and police staff whose work on either the criminal investigation or in support of the public inquiry.
Not all of these officers and staff are full time and they are further supported by the wider MPS, experts and the Crown Prosecution Service.

District Heating Systems

Tony Devenish: Does the Mayor agree or disagree that the recent successes of the Bunhill project in powering 13,500 homes through a District Heating System is evidence for the much needed growth in this technology?

The Mayor: Yes, I agree and that is why I am continuing to actively support the development and build out of district energy networks across London. They have an integral part to play in decarbonising energy supply and enabling London to become zero carbon by 2030.
In London I am strengthening policy around district energy in the draft London Plan and I am delighted to say that we are also extending the Decentralised Energy Enabling Project (to be renamed Local Energy Accelerator) with additional funding to continue supporting the development of district energy projects through to July 2023.
I am also engaging with government to help develop the policy, funding and market framework that is needed by these networks; from regulation to protect consumers, to ‘zoning’ and new funding programmes that will enable the expansion, growth and decarbonisation of these networks.
Islington Council’s Bunhill Heat and Power Network, developed with support from Transport for London and my officers, is a great example of my vision for future district energy networks, those that exploit available waste heat sources, in this case from the tube network, and use them to provide low carbon and affordable heat to local homes and businesses.

Retrofitting

Tony Devenish: Can the Mayor confirm whether or not there are further plans to expand London's ‘retrofit programme’ to further decarbonise the UK’s housing stock?

The Mayor: My London Environment Strategy and 1.5C Compatible Climate Action Plan identify retrofitting as one of the main levers to decarbonising London. One of the key themes of my Green New Deal, announced in the budget earlier this year is decarbonising London’s built environment, including retrofitting homes. This is being taken forward with London Councils as part of London’s recovery efforts.
My Retrofit Accelerator – Homes provides technical assistance to social landlords to scale up whole-house retrofits, with a large and growing pipeline. My Warmer Homes programme retrofits fuel-poor homes, options to expand it are being developed.
London needs £10bn for home retrofitting, and I continue to lobby for funding. I am working to draw in finance, including co-ordinating funding bids with boroughs. In addition to the Mayor’s Energy Efficiency Fund, the Green Finance Institute has been appointed to work with the public and private sectors to explore how we unlock investment.

EWS1

Tony Devenish: In view of your strategic housing role, do you share concerns about the current External Wall Fire Review (EWS1) process and its impact on the ability to buy, sell or raise a mortgage on such properties? Have you had any discussions or made any representations about this issue?

The Mayor: The complexity and scale of the building safety crisis and the resulting problems that leaseholders are facing in selling and re-mortgaging homes are of grave concern. The Homes for Londoners Board wrote to the Government about building safety in December 2019 about this issue amongst others. This was followed up by another letter in February 2020. Unfortunately, the Secretary of State for Housing has yet to reply to either letter. It is clear that the current EWS1 process is not working, not least because of a chronic shortage of competent professionals to check the safety of external wall systems. This national crisis must be addressed urgently by the Government.

Green energy

Tony Devenish: Does the Mayor worry that the perceptive FT journalist Jonathan Ford " Green power needs to be dense, an awkward truth for renewables" (17 August) may have a point? Has the GLA identified sites suitable for sizeable wind farms?

The Mayor: London’s zero carbon ambitions are heavily dependent on the decarbonisation of energy grids at the national level. The decisions made around the scalability of renewables to achieve this are determined by Government policy decisions and schemes such as Contracts for Difference. However, I recently outlined how I am driving the additional development of large-scale renewables, including offshore and onshore wind, through my ambition for TfL and the wider GLA group and public sectorto procure renewable energy through power purchase agreements. We are also supporting the deployment of decentralised generation in London through several programmes, including Solar Together London and our London Plan policies where in 2019 solar PV capacity increased to 6.7MWp from 5.5 MWP in 2018.
The application of onshore wind within London is however more limited, as the space needed and the density of development in many areas does not allow for the available airflow to make such schemes successful. However, as and when suitable applications come forward, they will be assessed in line with the London Plan, including the appropriateness of proposals and impacts they may have on the built and natural environment, including in relation to the Green Belt. Last week we also published our Solar Opportunity Map (link) which will help households, businesses and local authorities to identify the most optimal sites for solar projects to support the recovery and job creation as part of our Green New Deal recovery programme and my ambitions for 2GW of solar.

Forced Marriage (3)

Susan Hall: Is the Mayor aware of the recent comment by Natasha Rattu, Chief Executive of Karma Nirvana, the charity campaigning against forced marriage, reporting a 150% increase in calls from teenagers during lockdown, relating to forced marriages in London? This has led to the Charity predicting a sharp rise in forced marriages taking place once lockdown eases. What is the Mayor able to do to disrupt this practice?

The Mayor: I am aware of the increase in calls to services. MOPAC participates in regular calls with the sector and key partners, including Karma Nirvana, through the London Harmful Practices Working Group, where issues and concerns have been raised. MOPAC is linked into the communications from the group, sharing key resources including the Guidance for Schools and Colleges and the linked Schools Charter. They are supporting joint work around Harmful Practices and concerns regarding these hidden harms as children return to school.
My VAWG Fund highlighted Harmful Practices as a priority area for support and has funded 3 projects that provide specialist advocacy for women and girls who are at risk of Forced Marriage and wrap around support to victims. They work with multiple agencies, including the Forced Marriage Unit, MPS and Social Services to disrupt the practice and bring offenders in contact with the Criminal Justice System.

Waste self-sufficiency

Leonie Cooper: In your answer to question 2020/2275, you told me that London’s net waste self-sufficiency is now at 60%, a welcome 14% increase from when the current London Plan was published. Are you confident you will meet your target for London to be 100% net waste self-sufficient by 2026, and what specific plans do you have to achieve this goal?

The Mayor: My London Environment Strategy sets the objective to maximise local waste sites and ensure that London has sufficient infrastructure to manage all the waste it produces, with a target to be net self-sufficient by 2026.
My London Plan requires boroughs to plan for their identified waste needs and meet their apportioned tonnages of household, commercial and industrial waste. My officers are working with the boroughs, through their Local Plans, to ensure this is achieved.
My London Plan also safeguards existing waste sites to help meet the 100% net waste self-sufficiency target. I will resist the loss of such sites or require compensatory capacity be provided.
In developing their Reduction and Recycling Plans (RRPs), I also asked boroughs to identify sites that meet waste apportionment targets and include plans for maximising recycling at local Reuse and Recycling Centres, including measures to accept a wide range of materials including hazardous waste. I have now approved all 33 borough RRPs.
The recent pandemic has impacted the quantities and types of waste that London produces, and we are yet to see the full impact of this. Although these measures I have described and those aimed at reducing the generation of waste are vital in achieving this target we need government, in implementing their Resources and Waste Strategy, to bring forward policy to further reduce waste and support boroughs to ensure London gets its fair share of support for waste and recycling services.

Emissions from buildings (2)

Leonie Cooper: The Environment Committee recently published a report into London’s carbon emissions which focused heavily on building emissions. Will you be adopting our recommendations, which were developed through extensive engagement with Londoners?

The Mayor: I welcome the Environment Committee’s recent report on The Climate Emergency. I will shortly be sharing my response with the London Assembly on how I will be progressing the Committee’s recommendations.
Reducing building emissions is central to delivering a green recovery, my aim for London to be net zero by 2030 and tackling fuel poverty. The drive to reduce emissions from buildings has the potential to support tens of thousands of jobs over the next decade and be a key driver in job creation in London’s green economy. I have also made this a priority in my Green New Deal which will be central to London’s green and prosperous recovery from COVID-19.

Climate resilience

Leonie Cooper: Can you provide an update on when your guidance for schools and Early Years settings on how to adapt to London’s changing climate will be published?

The Mayor: The guidance for schools and Early Years settings on how to adapt to London’s changing climate was published in August, 2020. It is on the GLA’s website: https://www.london.gov.uk/WHAT-WE-DO/environment/environment-publications/how-schools-and-early-years-settings-can-adapt-climate-change

Plastic waste (2)

Leonie Cooper: Will you consider setting a separate target for increased plastic recycling, in order to reduce the carbon intensity of incineration?

The Mayor: My London Environment Strategy already sets clear targets to achieve 50 percent local authority collected waste recycling by 2025 and 65 percent municipal waste recycling rate by 2030.
My Environment Strategy also sets out a minimum level of household recycling service provision for all boroughs to meet, which includes collecting the six main dry recycling materials, including plastic bottles and mixed plastics (pots, tubs and trays).
29 boroughs currently meet my minimum standard for dry recycling materials. The four that do not are Barking and Dagenham, Havering, Newham and Redbridge. These four boroughs already collect plastic bottles but are constrained from expanding their collection service as they are the constituent authorities of the East London Waste Authority (ELWA) which has contractual restrictions in place meaning changes to waste and recycling services is severely limited.
However, my officers along their counterparts from the London Waste and Recycling Board are working with these boroughs to identify what further action can be taken.
With the progress I have made towards consistent recycling of plastics and the targets that are already in place I do not believe setting a separate target for plastic recycling is necessary at this stage. Further progress now requires government to take action to make businesses take greater responsibility for the plastic they produce and provide London with funding to support better recycling infrastructure.

Plastic waste (1)

Leonie Cooper: In your answer to me on sustainable waste management on July 19th, you told me that getting the Carbon Intensity Floor for incineration down to 200g/kWh of CO2 is practically challenging due to plastic’s higher emissions when burned. In light of that, what progress has been made towards your target for 65% recycling by 2030?

The Mayor: My target of 65% recycling by 2030 is for municipal waste, which includes household or business waste that is similar in composition.
I have now approved all 33 borough waste Reduction and Recycling Plans (RRPs). Taken together, if implemented in full by the boroughs, the RRPs are expected to increase London’s household waste recycling rate from 33% today to 40% in 2022. This shows we are making progress on household waste and this should continue as the introduction of consistent services and initiatives identified in RRPs continue to take effect.
As set out in my London Environment Strategy, achieving the 65% target will also require improvement in recycling from businesses. I have no powers to direct businesses to deliver my strategy but if the RRPs are implemented the number of boroughs providing commercial waste recycling services will increase from 29 to 31. This includes 18 boroughs looking to grow their commercial waste service offering. Additionally, through the London Waste and Recycling Board (LWARB), I am supporting boroughs in developing their commercial waste services by offering individual support and service reviews and establishing a commercial waste forum for the exchange of knowledge and good practice. LWARB are also developing support for commercial food waste services within boroughs and launching a commercial waste section of the London Recycles website.
However, we still need government to provide more support. I estimate that London requires a minimum of £100m of investment in local recycling services to reach my targets and have requested this money from the UK Government. I will continue engaging with the Government to make sure that London gets its fair share of funding for investment in local authority services to drive up recycling performance.

Emissions from buildings (1)

Leonie Cooper: In your answer to question 2020/2274, you stated that London’s buildings account for 74% of emissions. Does this account for embodied carbon? If so, what proportion is embodied carbon and, if not, how much of London’s emissions come from embodied carbon from buildings?

The Mayor: Buildings account for 74% of London’s direct emissions (emissions from fossil fuels burnt in the city plus emissions from electrical power consumed in the city from homes, workplaces and transport). This figure does not account for indirect, life-cycle carbon (embodied) emissions. That is emissions associated with the construction of buildings, raw materials acquisition, processing, manufacturing or transportation of building materials to London.
Embodied emissions from buildings add a further 6 MtCO2e per year, around 15% of the total direct and indirect emissions from buildings. See the ‘Application of PAS 2070 – London’ report for further information:
I am committed to reducing embodied carbon emissions from buildings and construction as part of my aim for London to reach net zero by 2030. I have taken the lead on this by introducing a requirement for new developments to reduce life-cycle carbon emissions in the new London Plan. This ambitious new policy will drive low carbon building design, putting London’s buildings at the forefront of climate action.

Plastic waste (3)

Leonie Cooper: Understandably, many of your water refill points closed at the start of the pandemic until it was clear they did not pose an infection risk. What progress has now been made towards reopening them? When will they all be back in operation, if not already?

The Mayor: In the absence of nationally available guidance, my officers sought advice from the London COVID-19 Scientific and Technical Advisory Cell (STAC) to inform decision making around safely reopening public drinking water fountains.
The London Scientific and Technical Advisory Cell (STAC) provides a single point of trusted and credible scientific and technical advice to the London Transition Management Group* (LTMG) in line with the LTMG’s objectives.
The STAC guidance supported reopening drinking fountains, with additional measures in place (i.e. frequent cleaning and safety signage).
My officers are working closely with Thames Water and insurance providers to plan the reopening of the drinking fountains in line with STAC guidance and bring them back into operation as quickly as possible.

London Power (2)

Leonie Cooper: How many vulnerable customers have so far been cross-referred between London Power and your other energy schemes?

The Mayor: In the last month, London Power has activated a direct referral service to the Warmer Homes Advice Service, which allows customer details to be passed directly to WHAS providers in their area, with the customer’s consent. This package includes home energy visits, general energy advice, water poverty interventions, fire safety checks, benefit checks and debt and bill disputes. We will be monitoring the effectiveness of this referral service to ensure as many vulnerable Londoners benefit from additional support.

London Power (1)

Leonie Cooper: I was pleased to read in your London Power first Quarterly Report that nearly 3,000 homes have so far been powered by London Power. How are you working to increase this number?

The Mayor: I am pleased that between January and June we have already delivered fair, affordable, green energy to nearly 3,000 London households and will continue to grow in order that more Londoners can benefit. Marketing for London Power was paused in March as the COVID-19 pandemic hit, but will be resumed this autumn. My officers are also engaging with London boroughs to gain their support in further promoting London Power to their residents.

MOPAC Public Engagement Funding

Susan Hall: Please can you provide an update on the future of MOPAC Public Engagement Funding?

The Mayor: Public engagement is, and will continue to be, an important aspect of the work of both MOPAC and the Met Police. As a result of the unprecedented effects of Covid19, like many other organisations, MOPAC is prioritising funding to respond to the crisis and support our most vulnerable citizens. As a matter of urgency, officers are working to establish the new demands on City Hall, the police and victims’ services and as part of that are reviewing all discretionary funding streams. Officers are of course, working to resolve these matters as quickly as possible and continue to update Safer Neighbourhood Boards on developments.

Housing size mix

Andrew Boff: Will you make it a mandatory requirement for GLA housing funding that all developers report on the size mix for all starts?

The Mayor: The Mayor’s Homes for Londoners team is currently reviewing all monitoring, reporting and data collection requirements in preparing the new Affordable Homes Programme for London, including how the GLA monitors size mix for developments in receipt of GLA affordable housing grant.
I provided information about how we currently record the bedroom breakdown of GLA funded affordable housing starts on 20th March 2020 (refer to Mayor's Question 2020/1375).

Homebuilding Capacity Fund

Susan Hall: How much of this £10m fund has been spent to date? How much money remains in the fund? Has any of this funding been reallocated to other projects, and if so how much?

The Mayor: As of 9 September 2020, £3,602,512.26 of the £10m fund has been spent. The balance is contractually committed leaving no funding unallocated and there has been no funding reallocated to other projects.

Community-led housing

Susan Hall: How much of this £38m fund, announced in January 2019, has been spent to date? How much money remains in the fund? Has any of this funding been reallocated to other projects, and if so how much? How many homes have been provided and on which schemes?

The Mayor: As at 31 August 2020, c£12.5m of funding has been committed through my Community Housing Fund to support delivery of new community-led homes across London. Of this, c£1.6m has been spent. This funding is supporting delivery of 129 homes across five schemes and the Community Led Housing Hub which supports community groups to develop community-led housing schemes. Since its launch the Hub has assisted over 90 community-led housing groups and 10 London boroughs. £25.5 remains to be allocated. None of the funding has been reallocated to other projects.

Met Police investigation into the Grenfell Tower fire (1)

Andrew Dismore: When do the Met expect to conclude their criminal investigation into individuals and bodies related to the Grenfell Tower fire?

The Mayor: The Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) had previously informed the bereaved families, survivors and public that both the police and the CPS agree that the criminal investigation must take into account any findings or reports produced by the Grenfell Tower public inquiry, including the Inquiry’s final reports for both Phase 1 and Phase 2.
The publication of any final public inquiry report will follow its Phase 2 hearings. Once the report has been considered, if the police investigation concludes there is sufficient evidence to consider criminal charges in relation to the fire, a file will be submitted to the CPS for a charging decision.
The MPS assessment is that any file submission to CPS by the MPS is unlikely to be sooner than the latter part of 2021. This timeline will be subject to review as the Phase 2 hearings progress.
The police investigation has been in regular engagement with the CPS since the beginning of the investigation and continue to do so.

Vulnerable people in buildings with flammable cladding (2)

Andrew Dismore: How many people requiring sleep-in carers reside in buildings of 18m+ with ACM and other forms of flammable cladding in London?

The Mayor: The GLA does not hold this information. The GLA's role is to administer the Social and Private Sector ACM Cladding Remediation Funds and the Building Safety Fund in London on behalf of the Government.
The Government is responsible for collecting and recording information on buildings of 18 meters or above in height, with ACM and other forms of unsafe cladding, in London and the rest of the England. The latest monthly data release is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/building-safety-programme-monthly-data-release-july-2020

Shoplifting (1)

Peter Whittle: I note the report in the Daily Telegraph of 7 July 2020, which stated: ‘Kit Malthouse, the policing minister, is writing to chief constables saying the theft of goods valued up to £200 from a shop should be prosecuted as a criminal offence.’1 Has the Metropolitan Police decided that the shoplifting of goods of the value of less than £200 would not be prosecuted, if so who, when and why?

1https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2020/07/07/victims-burglaries-assaults-thefts-getting-limited-service-police/#:~:text=Kit%20Malthouse%2C%20the%20policing%20minister,prosecuted%20as%20a%20criminal%20offence.%E2%80%9D&text=At%20its%20core%2C%20the%20problem,for%20policing%20considerably%20outstrips%20supply.%E2%80%9D

The Mayor: The actions of the Metropolitan Police are in this case, as in all cases, dictated by the relevant legislation. The Crime and Disorder Act classifies circumstances where the value of stolen goods does not exceed £200 as “low-value shoplifting”, which is a summary offence. A person guilty of low-value shoplifting can be imprisoned for up to 51 weeks, fined, or both. Where a suspect is apprehended, the premises where the offence occurred make the choice of whether to prosecute or not.

Extinction Rebellion Protests

Peter Whittle: On 1 September 2020, Extinction Rebellion commenced ten days of action across the UK, to protest against climate change. In London, this has led to severe traffic delays, as the capital attempts to return to normality after Lockdown. Various stunts are taking place, including a ‘theatrical’ display on ‘how the climate crisis is causing death’, and a silent protest outside Buckingham Palace. Last year, more than 1,700 arrests were made during Extinction Rebellion’s ten-day ‘Autumn Uprising’, which saw major disruption across the UK and large parts of central London blocked off. How much longer will Londoners have to put up with this serious disruption?

The Mayor: People have the right to peacefully protest. This is an important right enshrined in law and one that we should preserve.
Numerous protests happen each year in London and the vast majority pass off peacefully and without causing disruption to the community The Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) has a long and positive history in facilitating protests. There is a clear need in democratic society to protect the right to protest and also the right of others to go about their lawful business. This is never an easy balance to strike but I have the confidence in the officers charged with doing it.
I have strongly condemned the actions of those who break the law – for instance targeting London Underground is dangerous, counter-productive and an unfair burden on our already overstretched police officers and travellers.

Rough Sleepers (2)

Andrew Boff: How many of London’s rough sleepers who were accommodated in hotels during Covid lockdown have not been placed in alternative accommodation? How many of these remain in hotels, and where are the remainder currently living?

The Mayor: Please see my response to 2020/2658.

Rough Sleepers (1)

Andrew Boff: How many of London’s rough sleepers who were accommodated in hotels during Covid lockdown have been placed in alternative accommodation?

The Mayor: As of 4 September, London Councils’ data, which includes the GLA’s accommodated cohort, all 32 boroughs, and the City of London, suggests the number of former rough sleepers now in settled move-on accommodation as a result of the Covid-19 response is 2,238.
For the GLA hotels specifically there are currently 679 residents still in hotel accommodation, with 572 people moved into settled accommodation and there have been 353 unplanned moves (either evictions or abandonments).

Good Growth Fund

Susan Hall: What is the total funding pot for the Good Growth Fund? How much of this fund has been spent to date? How much money remains in the fund? Has any of this funding been reallocated to other projects, and if so how much?

The Mayor: The Good Growth Fund has allocated £75 million across 3 rounds to 138 projects across London.
80 of these will receive a share of £72 million to deliver capital projects that help empower people, make better places and grow prosperity across London. 56 of these are development projects, which will each receive a share of £3 million. Development projects enable us to work with a broader range of partners to generate a pipeline of robust and varied projects across London.
The fund is fully committed, meaning there is no budget to be reallocated, without either withdrawing from signed contracts or withdrawing money from organisations that have a reasonable expectation of receiving it based on round 3 award decisions.
To date £22.2m of committed funding has been spent - broadly in line with forecasts.

Vulnerable people in buildings with flammable cladding (1)

Andrew Dismore: How many a) hospitals, b) other healthcare sites, and c) social care sites have ACM and other forms of flammable cladding in London?

The Mayor: The GLA does not hold this information. The GLA's role is to administer the Social and Private Sector ACM Cladding Remediation Funds and the Building Safety Fund in London on behalf of the Government.
The Government is responsible for collecting and recording information on buildings of 18 meters or above in height, with ACM and other forms of unsafe cladding, in London and the rest of the England. The latest monthly data release is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/building-safety-programme-monthly-data-release-july-2020

London Power (3)

Tony Arbour: Please could the Mayor provide the target number of customers London Power had for the first six months?

The Mayor: Please see response to question 2020/2610.

London Power (2)

Tony Arbour: Are you satisfied that London Power has only gained fewer than 3000 customers in the first six months of the scheme?

The Mayor: Please see my response to question 2020/2854.

London Power (1)

Tony Arbour: Is the Mayor satisfied that London Power has only gained 15 customers a day on average since it was launched in January?

The Mayor: The last six months have been challenging for businesses across the country, particularly those that are just starting out. I am pleased that by the end of June we were already delivering fair, affordable, green energy to nearly 3,000 London households and have maintained excellent levels of customer service. I plan to continue to grow London Power in order that more Londoners will benefit from affordable, green energy.

Green New Deal

Tony Arbour: Can the Mayor confirm whether the £50 million announced to support a Green New Deal in February will be used as part of London's COVID-19 green recovery?

The Mayor: I am committed to the Green New Deal Fund as a way of kickstarting our green, fair and prosperous recovery from the pandemic.
I have always been clear that I want the fund to support action tackling the climate emergency, creating jobs and supporting a just transition. This is even more relevant today as we plan London’s post-coronavirus economic recovery.  While we have to take into account the financial challenges presented by Covid-19, a cleaner, greener recovery for London needs to support the transition of the economy to one that is inclusive, resilient, low carbon and circular, and my Green New Deal Fund is an important way to drive this.

tree coverage

Andrew Dismore: Do you support the campaign to increase tree canopy coverage in London? What are the practical steps you are taking or can take to help achieve this?

The Mayor: In my London Environment Strategy, I set a target to increase London’s tree canopy cover by 10 per cent of current levels by 2050 - from 21 per cent to 23.1 per cent of London’s land area. This will add an extra 3,300 hectares of canopy cover – 23 times the area of Hyde Park.
Since 2016, I have supported the planting of over 280,000 trees across London, with trees in every borough. 5,000 more street trees will be planted this winter, and in July I announced plans to create two new woodlands in our Green Belt, which will span 84 hectares and plant a further 140,000 trees.
I am also working with the Forestry Commission and other members of the London Urban Forest Partnership on a London Urban Forest Plan. This will set out priority actions that the partnership will take for the capital’s trees including to increase canopy cover.

Thames Tideway

Leonie Cooper: How has the construction of the Thames Tideway tunnel been affected by COVID-19?

The Mayor: The Thames Tideway tunnel was due to be completed in 2024, but is now likely to be completed in the first half of 2025, adding nine months to the current schedule. The delay is due to works pausing during the COVID-19 lockdown. In terms of costs, the revised forecast adds a further £233 million to the project, taking the estimated project cost to £4.1 billion.
My Deputy Mayor for Environment & Energy has asked Tideway last month to confirm that the impact of delays and the cost increase will not fall on customer bills. Tideway are currently in discussions with Ofwat on a package of measures to mitigate the impact of COVID-19. Agreement of that package is expected in the coming months.
Whilst Tideway do not at this stage know what impact this will have on customer bills, they confirm they do not expect the original £20-£25 range on annual bills for Thames Water wastewater customers to be exceeded.

Fuel poverty (4)

Leonie Cooper: Your Fuel Poverty Action Plan has now been published for two years. Will you be publishing an interim results report on all the metrics?

The Mayor: As part of my annual London Environment Strategy progress update I update on elements of the Fuel Poverty Action Plan.
As there is a two-year time lag in government fuel poverty statistics this means that it will not be possible to report in changes in levels of fuel poverty between 2018 and 2019 until next summer.

River pollution

Leonie Cooper: There have been recent reports that the Environment Agency is considering watering down its river pollution targets. Can you guarantee London will retain higher standards in our waterways?

The Mayor: The Environment Agency has said that regulation is essential to protect and enhance the environment and that is why many rivers are cleaner than at any time since the Industrial Revolution. I support this view, but I am concerned by the Government’s lack of progress with the Environment Bill which is ultimately responsible for setting future UK water quality standards
I expect there to be no softening of standards under domestic environmental law, however this is ultimately beyond my control and a question for Government now that we have departed the EU. My London Environment Strategy is clear on the importance of protecting the ecology and water quality in London’s waterways. l will press Government as needed, to ensure that new legislation which drives the standards of our rivers and waterways, delivers further improvement in their water quality and ecology. I will continue work with the Environment Agency and London’s water companies, both of which I expect to take further action to reduce the amount of pollution released into the environment and ensure the health of London’s rivers and canals continues to improve.

Fuel poverty (2)

Leonie Cooper: At MQT last December, you updated me on the progress with your Fuel Poverty Action Plan and Warmer Homes schemes. How has this been affected by the pandemic, and can you provide me with the latest data?

The Mayor: Delivery of my fuel poverty programmes has continued during the pandemic, albeit in a modified form. The delivery of my Warmer Homes programme was limited during lockdown because of restrictions on visiting homes but was still able to assist households (with appropriate social distancing measures in place) without heating and hot water.
Since July it has resumed normal service and has seen a very high volume of applications. Due to this, all funding is currently projected to be committed to deliver this year’s target and the programme is temporarily closed to new applications. We have sought further funding from the government’s Green Homes Grant Local Authority Delivery scheme to expand the programme.
The Warmer Homes Advice Service has maintained telephone advice provision throughout but has switched to virtual home energy visits. Between the start of the second round of the service in August 2019 and June 2020 it helped 3,029 households, supporting them with Warmer Homes applications, assisting them to deal with energy debt and billing disputes, and helped them to access bill discounts.

Fuel poverty (3)

Leonie Cooper: Will you be updating your Fuel Poverty Action Plan to reflect the economic challenges faced by Londoners at the moment?

The Mayor: My current Fuel Poverty Action Plan was published two years ago, and I am currently focused on delivering against its objectives through projects such as my Warmer Homes programme and London Power. The government is expected to publish its new Fuel Poverty Strategy for England later this year and I will assess the implications for London and my Action Plan. There are currently 392,000 London households in fuel poverty and current national policy has been ineffective in reducing this number. Fuel poverty spending will need to be increased significantly to meet the national 2030 target, particularly to address solid-walled homes, and minimum energy efficiency standards strengthened with adequate resources going to boroughs to enforce these standards. Better still, these spending powers should be devolved to London so that I can deliver a fully integrated action plan.

London Power (3)

Leonie Cooper: What customer feedback have you so far received? Are you conducting customer satisfaction analysis?

The Mayor: Customer feedback has been very positive – currently London Power is rated 4.8 out of 5 stars on Trustpilot. We monitor customer satisfaction by asking customers to rate their experience following interactions with our customer service team. To date, 82% of responses have been positive showing a high level of customer satisfaction (11% neutral, only 7% negative).

Fuel poverty (1)

Leonie Cooper: Fuel poverty is always a serious concern, but this year I am particularly worried due to the coming economic crisis and the likelihood that many Londoners will be spending more time at home than usual, increasing their bills. What proportion of London’s population are you expecting to be in fuel poverty this winter?

The Mayor: The relative nature of the fuel poverty metric means that it is difficult to estimate the impact that the virus and accompanying economic downturn will have on Londoners. It is however clear that expected higher energy use combined with income reductions for many will result in more households struggling to pay their energy bills I would also expect the number of households in debt to their energy supplier is likely to rise.
There are around 392,000 households in London suffering from fuel poverty and six London boroughs are in the worst 10 per cent in England for fuel poverty levels. I am supporting Londoners through my programmes such as Warmer Homes, the Warmer Homes Advice Service, Retrofit Accelerator – Homes, and London Power. I am also lobbying government on several fronts, such as for London to receive its fair share of funding and for higher energy efficiency standards in the private rented sector.

NPCC Aviation Review

Tony Devenish: In relation to your answer to 2020/1206, the NPCC Aviation Review is available online, what is your assessment of it and its implications for London?

The Mayor: The NPCC Aviation Review is a thorough and sound review of the operational requirement in policing for air support and how it can best be delivered. The Met has been an active participant in this Review. I am confident that the Review articulates the needs of London well. The Review is now going through governance both amongst Chief Constables and NPAS itself. MOPAC is represented on the Board of NPAS, who will be the final arbiters in many of matters highlighted in this Review.

Facilitating socially distanced democratic protests

Siân Berry: I understand that potential organisers of events and protests in Trafalgar Square and Parliament Square are being informed there is no possibility to arrange to use these spaces, even in several months’ time. What plans do you have in place to allow for the restoration of socially distanced, risk-assessed, democratic protests and events in the spaces the GLA controls?

The Mayor: I fully understand people’s desire to have their voices heard and as part of a democratic society, I support the right for peaceful protest. However, Londoners have made huge sacrifices to help prevent the spread of covid-19. I want to be clear that large gatherings, including protests and parties, are currently illegal, in order to stop the spread of this deadly virus.
I have made clear my concerns about the potential transmission of Covid-19 at protests, despite people’s best intentions to socially distance at these events.
This virus still presents a grave threat to people taking part in these protests and all our communities, and this is why I am urging people to stay at home and find a safe and legal way to make their voices heard, until a time when the virus is no longer a threat.

Money laundering of Rajib Nawaz, ex-PM of Malaysia

Murad Qureshi: Will the MET investigate whether any of the money laundering of ex-PM of Malaysia Rajib Nawaz occurred in London?

The Mayor: As this question relates to an individual person, or case, the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) can neither confirm nor deny the existence of any investigations.

GLA Loans

Shaun Bailey: Please provide a list of all the developers who have received a loan from City Hall, the amount of each loan and for which purpose it was received?

The Mayor: Details of loans provided to developers can be found in the following approval papers: DD1402, DD2147, DD2175/DD2346, MD1565, MD1664, MD2036, MD2190, MD2267, DD2160, MD2060, DD1483, MD2266, DD2305, DD2328, DD1271, DD2228, DD2066.

Assaults on Police Officers

Shaun Bailey: For 2019/20 please provide the number of police officers who have been attacked/assaulted, injured as a result of an attack or seriously injured. Please also provide a breakdown of the three categories listed.

The Mayor: Please see below the requested data for the period specified.
Injury degree
FY2019/20 volume
FY2019/20 %
No Injury
3,337
51%
Minor
2,734
42%
Moderate
279
4%
Threats Only
129
2%
Serious
82
1%

London’s Housing Delivery Recovery Plan

Murad Qureshi: I welcome the publication of London’s Housing Delivery Recovery Plan and the five priority responses identified in the report. With the end of the Housing Delivery Taskforce, how will you and your Deputy Mayor for Housing continue to work with key stakeholders including local authorities, housing providers and the government to pursue progress against these priority response areas?

The Mayor: With the publication of London’s Covid-19 Housing Delivery Taskforce report, the housing sector has spoken with one voice, endorsing a clear roadmap to recovery.Since the report was published, my Deputy Mayor Tom Copley has held a cross-sector briefing – attended by a wide range of stakeholders, including London boroughs, housing associations and developers – and a webinar for London MPs to further disseminate and promote the work of the Taskforce. In the coming weeks and months, officers will continue to work with the sector to develop and implement the recommendations that we can deliver together. Finally, my Deputy Mayor Tom Copley and I have asked to meet with Ministers to agree a way forward to reboot the London housing sector. The Government must listen and support our recommendations so we can emerge from this crisis.

Mayor’s Life off the Streets programme

Murad Qureshi: How many proposals were received for the Mayor’s Life off the Streets Programme?

The Mayor: Response has been remarkable to my new Rough Sleeping Accommodation Programme, a key element of the Mayor’s Life off the Streets Programme. 75 proposals were received and are being assessed at pace so announcements can be made as soon as possible.

Rough Sleeping Taskforce Change of Leadership

Murad Qureshi: Dame Casey carried out invaluable work championing the rights of rough sleepers throughout the Covid-19 pandemic. With Dame Casey stepping down from her role as head of the Rough Sleeping Taskforce, how will you work with her replacement to ensure London’s perspective is heard in the formulation of national policy?

The Mayor: I would like to thank Dame Louise Casey for all her support and invaluable work during the pandemic. My rough sleeping officers are working closely with MHCLG. However, the void from Dame Louise leaving is going to be significant and I would urge the government to replace her imminently to ensure effective leadership in the sector at a time of need.

Housing representation on the London Recovery Board

Murad Qureshi: How are the views of housing providers represented on the London Recovery Board and is there a representative on the Board who specifically has housing within their remit?

The Mayor: The London Recovery Board aims to facilitate recovery from the impact of Covid-19 through a membership comprised of representatives from businesses, unions, community organisations, education and political parties, rather than individual industries. The Board is chaired by the Mayor and by Cllr Peter John of London Councils, both of whom are strongly committed to tackling London’s housing crisis. The Board has so far met twice, and one of the meetings focused on a discussion of the Housing Delivery Taskforce report, whose recommendations were the result of active and thorough engagement with housing sector representatives, including housing providers.

Policing Priorities

Peter Whittle: The British police have serious institutional problems. Thanks to financial pressure and legal changes, they over-police low-level offending and under-police serious crime. The regular stream of videos showing police officers being abused by bystanders, while trying to arrest a suspect is a depressing sign of the times. I can’t help but feel the police themselves are partly responsible. In going woke, they have forfeited authority and respect. What changes are the Metropolitan Police going to institute to correct this error?

The Mayor: I do agree that it is unacceptable to see instances of officers suffering abuse whilst in the execution of their duties. However, I do not agree with the premise of the rest of your question. Policing by consent is crucial to gaining the trust and confidence of Londoners and in keeping them safe. Crime demand continues to rise in volume and complexity, and officers must often make difficult decisions about where their resources are deployed.

People with a zero-harm score on the Gangs Matrix

Siân Berry: On 16 February 2020 you published a press release, titled Mayor’s intervention results in comprehensive overhaul of Met’s Gangs Violence Matrix, saying: “As recommended in the report, nearly 490 individuals with a ‘green harm’ banding, including those deemed as having a zero-harm score – reflecting the lowest risk of an individual committing or being a victim of violence – have been removed from the Matrix because there was no longer evidence that they were affiliated with a criminal gang.”
How many ‘green harm’ banded individuals and those with a zero-harm score are still on the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) Gangs Matrix?

The Mayor: The number of individuals in the green category is available as part of the quarterly information published on the MPS Gangs Violence Matrix site at https://www.met.police.uk/police-forces/metropolitan-police/areas/about-us/about-the-met/gangs-violence-matrix/.
This information is published following the recommendations made in MOPAC’s review of the MPS’ Gang Violence Matrix.

Recommendations from MOPAC review of the Gangs Matrix

Siân Berry: One recommendation in MOPAC's December 2018 review of the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) Gangs Matrix says: “We recommend that the MPS (Metropolitan Police Service) improve transparency by producing, by the end of February 2019, publicly available, plain English and accessible information that:
answers frequently asked questions about how the Matrix works and its purpose;


sets out the governance and oversight mechanisms the Matrix is subject to;


explains the training officers receive that helps them implement the Operating Model;


describes the practical effect for an individual of being on the Matrix;


clarifies how information is shared and who with;


explains how an individual is added to and removed from the Matrix;


describes how the multi-agency process works; and


describes the relationship between the Matrix and the response to serious organised crime.”
Although some of this information appears on the MPS webpage about the Gangs Matrix, not all of the points in this recommendation have been met. When will all this information be published?

The Mayor: Following the recommendations made in MOPAC’s review and the subsequent work by the Met to overhaul the Matrix, there is now information available on the Metropolitan Police Service's (MPS) Matrix website, including an explanation of the purpose, frequently asked questions, an equalities impact assessment, and quarterly data on the number and demographics of those on the Matrix.
https://www.met.police.uk/police-forces/metropolitan-police/areas/about-us/about-the-met/gangs-violence-matrix/
We know however that there is more to do to inform the public of the wider progress that the Met has made on the recommendations, so MOPAC will be publishing an update shortly which will include further details on governance and processes. The Met has committed to do more to explain the work carried out the Matrix to ensure it is a fair and transparent tool.

Street Teams

Peter Whittle: I note the growing proliferation of so-called ‘Street Teams’ which now patrol swathes of London’s West End, clad in combat boots and stab vests. These individuals talk to shop owners and members of the public and are clearly carrying out the local intelligence-gathering role that used to be part of policing in London. I take it that their presence on our streets is yet another indicator of the decision by the Metropolitan Police to abandon Sir Robert Peel’s Principles of Law Enforcement. Is this the future of policing in London?

The Mayor: The Street Security Teams in the West End are employed by the New West End Company, not the Metropolitan Police Service. This is a private partnership of businesses delivering a range of services to members, which includes added security to help keep the West End a safe and secure place for visitors and businesses. This service does not diminish or distract in any way from the core business of policing in that area.

Tasers

Peter Whittle: To ask the Mayor how many times the Metropolitan Police have used Tasers over the last five calendar years and please categorise the reason for their use.

The Mayor: The data requested is published by the London data store and can be found through the link below: https://data.london.gov.uk/dataset/use-of-force
It should be noted that recording of Use of Force was introduced in April 2017. As such data prior to April 2017 is not available.
Figures are updated and reconciled each month from the start of each FY to the latest completed month.

Real Lettings Property Fund 2

Susan Hall: What is the total funding pot for this scheme, following the original £60m announced in February 2018? How much of this fund has been spent to date? How much money remains in the fund? Has any of this funding been reallocated to other projects, and if so how much? How many homes have been provided by this scheme, how many people have been helped?

The Mayor: The total funding pot for the Real Lettings Property Fund 2 (RLPF2) is at £98.51m (as of 10/09/20). Current spend of the RLPF2 is at £97,837,278 (as of 10/09/20), with final committed funds to reach the total funding pot of £98.51m. The committed total is not yet finalised due to the last few properties undergoing refurbishment works. Resonance have drawn down £19.6m from the Innovation Fund and the Move-On Fund. The funding has not be reallocated to other projects. Resonance and St Mungo’s have confirmed that 327 properties have handed over, with 362 tenancies on the scheme, housing a total of 805 adults and children. There is one 2-bed property completed and ready for inspection, and a further four properties in refurbishment (one 2-bed and one 3-bed). The intention is that these will be completed within 8 weeks and achieve a total of 332 properties in total.

Welfare to Wellbeing

Susan Hall: How much of this £180k fund for homeless veterans has been spent to date, and how many people have been helped by this scheme? How much money remains in the fund? Has any of this funding been reallocated to other projects, and if so how much?

The Mayor: All of the £180k funding for homeless veterans has been committed (see MD2214). This money has funded Veteran Aid’s Welfare to Wellbeing project since October 2017. In that time, the project has supported over 400 homeless veterans into accommodation and provided a range of other assistance depending on people’s individual needs and circumstances.

Move-on accommodation

Susan Hall: How much of this £50m fund has been spent to date? How much money remains in the fund? Has any of this funding been reallocated to other projects, and if so how much? How many homes have been provided by this scheme, how many people have been helped?

The Mayor: As at 31 August 2020, c£40m of funding has been allocated through my Move on programme to support delivery of c600 homes for people moving on from hostels and refuges. Of the funding allocated, c£8.5m has been spent and c£10m remains to be allocated. 97 homes have completed with at least 67 people moving into those properties already and nominations underway for the remainder.

FGM (3)

Susan Hall: What is the Mayor doing to incorporate action taken against FGM in his mayoral strategy?

The Mayor: FGM is an abhorrent and illegal practice that violates the rights and bodies of women and girls, and there is zero tolerance for it. As stated in my Violence Against Women and Girls Strategy, I support enforcement action and those who commit FGM should be punished, but a range of interventions is needed to tackle this practice. My grassroots community-based FGM campaign, ‘FGM Stops Here’, was launched in March 2020, and aims to change attitudes and behaviours on FGM. The campaign highlights the voices of four women with different experiences of FGM, calling for the end of FGM and encouraging others to turn away from it. The digital element has been very successful and well received, and MOPAC is working to adapt the outreach element due to Covid 19. MOPAC also funds a pan London Harmful Practices service as part of the Mayor’s VAWG Fund which includes supporting victims of FGM.

FGM (5)

Susan Hall: Is the Mayor aware that Nimco Ali OBE, founder of The Five Foundation has predicted a sharp rise in FGM during lockdown? Have you put any measures in place to mitigate this please?

The Mayor: I am aware that services supporting victims of Harmful Practices have highlighted concerns around an increase in FGM. MOPAC participates in calls with the sector and partners through the London Harmful Practices Working Group, where issues and concerns have been raised and work with the group to share key resources as appropriate, including the Guidance for Schools and Colleges. City Hall and MOPAC are working closely with the Met, local authorities and the VAWG sector to ensure support for survivors is included in any planning decisions around recovery.
My FGM campaign, ‘FGM Stops Here’, has continued through COVID-19, with a targeted digital campaign on social media. MOPAC is working with survivors, frontline professionals and activists to redevelop the outreach plan in the current environment.
In addition, several organisations have been awarded emergency funding through the London Community Response Fund and Ministry of Justice to increase directly and adapt services for women and girls affected by FGM.

FGM (4)

Susan Hall: What action is the Deputy Mayor taking against FGM?

The Mayor: The ‘FGM Stops Here’ campaign, launched in March 2020, highlights the voices of four women with different experiences of FGM, calling for the end of FGM and encouraging others to reject the practice. The targeted digital element of the campaign has been well received, and MOPAC is working to adapt the outreach element in response to the pandemic.
My VAWG Fund highlighted Harmful Practices as a priority area and awarded £1.5m to a specialist Pan London Harmful Practices support, engagement and training project. MOPAC comprehensively monitors the project to understand gaps in reporting, to better inform the MPS. Between January 2020 and June 2020 more than 330 women and girls have been able to access support through the project.
MOPAC continues to work with a wide range of partners as part of the London Harmful Practices Working Group to tackle all forms of Harmful Practice, including FGM.
I have invested over £7.5m into the London Community Response Fund and, out of £500k ring-fenced for MOPAC providers, over 20 VAWG specialist services received emergency funds to adapt during lockdown. This included those supporting women and girls affected by FGM.

Pepper Spray/CS Gas

Susan Hall: For each of the following years, Sep 2015 to Aug 2016, Sep 2016 to Aug 2017, Sep 2017 to Aug 2018, Sep 2018 to Aug 2019, and Sep 2019 to Aug 2020, how many times has Pepper Spray/CS Gas been used by the MPS?

The Mayor: The data requested is published on the London data store and can be found via the link below: https://data.london.gov.uk/dataset/use-of-force
It should be noted that recording of Use of Force was introduced in April 2017. As such data prior to April 2017 is not available. Figures are updated and reconciled each month from the start of each financial year to the latest completed month.

Racist Pollution

David Kurten: Given your closeness to Extinction Rebellion and your support for ‘Black Lives Matter’, do you agree with Extinction Rebellion’s co-founder Gail Bradbrook, who in the London Evening Standard on Friday 4 September 2020, questioned the ‘racist pollution impact of the Silvertown Tunnel.’ What is your understanding of the term ‘racist pollution’ and will it impact your support for the Silvertown Tunnel?

The Mayor: Building the Silvertown tunnel is vital to address the current situation at the Blackwall tunnel. The Blackwall tunnel was first opened 120 years ago and is simply not designed to cope with today’s traffic. It was closed over 700 times in 2017/18 alone.
Tackling congestion and improving access to sustainable public transport are crucial parts of cleaning up our air. The new Silvertown tunnel will radically improve traffic conditions, effectively eliminating the current congestion at the Blackwall tunnel that causes some of the worst air pollution in London and deliver an overall improvement in air quality. These conclusions are supported by extensive air quality modelling undertaken by TfL during the formal planning process.
The approach roads to the Silvertown, and particularly the Blackwall tunnels run through some of the most deprived neighbourhoods in London. Many of these areas also have very large BAME populations. When the Silvertown Tunnel is built it is these same neighbourhoods that will see direct benefits to air pollution from improved public transport links and reduced congestion.
The impact of the ULEZ and LEZ on vehicle emissions were not included in the modelling for Silvertown Tunnel as the schemes were not finalised when the planning permission was being decided. This means that the improvements in Air Quality are likely to be even greater than predicted.
The planning permission for the Silvertown Tunnel includes strict requirements that mean that the impact on local air quality and noise must not be worse than predicted. TfL will be putting in place monitoring to make sure that the impacts are measured and any problems, should they arise, are swiftly dealt with.

MOPAC Victims Fund

Susan Hall: Please can you provide an update on the future of the MOPAC Victims Fund?

The Mayor: MOPAC is currently reviewing the Victims Small Grant Fund in light of the range of small grants funding streams that have been deployed in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, including the London Community Response Fund which I have supported. MOPAC remains committed to supporting VCSE providers of local victim support services and expect to provide partners with an update on the future of the Victims Small Grants Fund in October 2020.

London Crime Prevention Fund

Susan Hall: Please can you provide an update on the future of the London Crime Prevention Fund?

The Mayor: Due to the postponement of the Mayoral election, the 4-year funding decision which was due to be made on the London Crime Prevention Fund this year will be delayed until 2021. This decision will then only be for 3 years, to realign with the Mayoral administration cycle. Full consultation will be undertaken as part of this process, as has been done before.
A formal decision regarding funding in the interim year 2021/22 will be made at the end of September, to allow commissioners to make timely decisions about services and staffing.

Shared ownership sales (3)

Murad Qureshi: Are you about to break down the deposits for shared ownership sales in 2017/18 into deciles or quartiles? Could you compare these to the equivalent for private market sale deposits?

The Mayor: Decile figures for shared ownership deposits in London in 2017/18 are given in the table below. The GLA does not hold equivalent data on private market sale deposits.
Deciles of deposits put down by shared ownership purchasers in London, 2017/18
Source: CORE dataset
Note: The zero and 100% decile figures have been excluded as they are equivalent to the minimum and maximum deposits put down.
Decile
Deposit amount
10%
£8,630
20%
£12,000
30%
£15,570
40%
£20,000
50%
£24,750
60%
£30,000
70%
£36,800
80%
£50,000
90%
£78,570

Shared ownership sales (2)

Murad Qureshi: Are you able to break down the household income of shared ownership purchasers in London in 2017/18 into deciles? If so, can you compare these to the household income deciles of London for the same year?

The Mayor: The table below shows the estimated deciles of gross household income for all households in London and for shared ownership purchasers in 2017/18. Both measures exclude any cases with zero incomes, but the estimates for all households include retired or otherwise workless households.
While efforts have been made to identify comparable variables, the two measures are from different data sources, were collected using different methods and refer to different groups (home buyers compared to all households).
The data source for the all households measure is the Households Below Average Income dataset, while for shared ownership purchasers it is the CORE dataset.
Comparison of deciles of gross household income for all households in London and for shared ownership purchasers, 2017/18
Sources: Income for all households from Households Below Average Income dataset, for shared ownership purchasers from CORE dataset
Note: The zero and 100% decile figures have been excluded as they are equivalent to the minimum and maximum incomes in the datasets.
Decile
All households
Shared ownership purchasers
10%
£13,000
£29,330
20%
£18,410
£34,000
30%
£25,120
£38,000
40%
£31,720
£42,110
50%
£39,100
£46,820
60%
£48,200
£51,120
70%
£61,780
£56,640
80%
£79,350
£64,560
90%
£107,020
£73,650

Shared ownership sales (4)

Murad Qureshi: Are you able to give a median, or quartile, figure for the deposit paid by shared ownership purchasers who were considered to be in "intermediate ownership need"?

The Mayor: The GLA Housing Research Note on Intermediate housing: The evidence base defines households that can afford private rent, but cannot afford to buy on the open market, as being in intermediate ownership need. Based on this assumption, the range of household incomes used as a proxy for intermediate ownership need in London is between £46,000 and £80,000.
The table below sets out the lower quartile, median and upper quartile deposits paid by shared ownership purchasers in London with household incomes within the range stipulated above.
Lower quartile
Median
Upper quartile
Deposit amount
£15,000
£23,000
£40,000
Note: these figures are based MHCLG COntinous REcording of Social Housing Lettings and Sales (CORE) data for 2017/18.

TfL Junk Food Advertising Ban Review Update

Andrew Boff: Further to my question 2020/0706, what has been the result of your internal policy review of the TfL junk food advertising ban?

The Mayor: Given the current focus on London’s response to COVID-19 situation, the timescales for the internal review have been under review. The independent evaluation being conducted by London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine is due to be published by Spring 2021. Understandably, health policy capacity is significantly stretched as health and other teams continue to support the ongoing pressures of the COVID-19 pandemic and response across the GLA group.
We will continue to prioritise resource on the COVID-19 response and recovery, and I will provide an update once we have more information.

Royal Albert Docks (1)

Unmesh Desai: The Royal Albert Dock scheme, in which the GLA entered into a development agreement with ABP in May 2013, was due to have been completed by 2022. What is the current timeframe for the completion of all phases of the scheme?

The Mayor: The new build phase 1 at Royal Albert Dock completed in April 2019. The second part of Phase 1 which includes the refurbishment of the two Listed Buildings is due to be completed by ABP by December 2022. Royal Albert Dock is split into 6 consecutive phases detailed in the Development Agreement. The dates for the subsequent phases change based on the completion dates of the previous phase.

Silvertown Partnership (2)

Unmesh Desai: Outline Planning Permission was granted to the Silvertown Partnership scheme in August 2016. One of the conditions of that outline permission was that, within two years, a detailed planning application would be submitted for a new bridge across the Royal Victoria Dock to connect the site with the ExCel centre and Custom House station. Has this application been submitted, and if not, why not?

The Mayor: The application for the new footbridge has not yet been submitted to the Local Authority. The conditions for the Outline Planning Permission are applicable only when the development has been implemented. As set out in question 2020/3045, implementation is due in early 2021. It is anticipated that a planning application for the bridge will be submitted in the second half of 2021.

Silvertown Partnership (1)

Unmesh Desai: When are works expected to start of Phase 1 of the Silvertown Partnership scheme, the redevelopment of Millennium Mills? In March 2020, the developers posted on their website that they were preparing plans to commence construction work, and were confident of maintaining a "business as usual approach" in the light of covid-19, but have any expected delays been communicated to the GLA, with whom the Silvertown Partnership has signed a development agreement?

The Mayor: The Silvertown Partnership submitted their Phase 1 Reserved Matters Planning Application in September 2019 which was then approved by the London Borough of Newham in December 2019. The Silvertown Partnership are currently working through their plans to commence on site during the first half 2021 and are in the process of procuring an enabling works contractor for phase one. The Silvertown Partnership have not sought a delay to contractual milestones though any application to the GLA for an extension related to Covid-19 will be considered.

Royal Docks air quality

Unmesh Desai: What steps are you taking to improve air quality around the Royal Docks? Given there is significant residential development completed and planned in the area, constituents have raised with me issues of poor air quality, in part due to the presence of London City Airport, but also lots of industrial and logistics sites, construction sites and the future Silvertown Tunnel.

The Mayor: Air quality in and around the Royal Docks, like the rest of London, benefits from the broad range of interventions I have introduced to reduce pollution.
In particular much of the Royal Docks will be within the expanded ULEZ and new residents will benefit from the transformational improvements to cross river bus services enabled by the Silvertown tunnel. This means that not only will new residents be more able to use public transport, reducing the need to drive, but that they will also see improved local air quality resulting from reductions in transport emissions.
Changes to the Non-Road Mobile Machinery Low Emission Zone introduced this year also mean that, by the time significant construction begins, machinery used will be cleaner.
The planning framework for this Opportunity Area is currently under production but the final form will take into account air pollution from local sources like the airport and industry. My London Plan policies are also designed to ensure that as the industrial and logistics sites are redeveloped, they should reduce their impact on surrounding residential areas.

Met Ability to Respond to ‘Unlicensed Music Events’

Unmesh Desai: Are you confident that the Met are properly equipped to deal with the rise in ‘unlicensed music events’ in London?

The Mayor: The MPS has reacted proactively and effectively to the rise in unlicensed music events (UMEs). The MPS quickly identified the risks around UMEs and set up a dedicated response involving senior leaders from each borough and a central response overseen by experienced senior public order commanders. Additionally, the MPS briefed staff regarding their powers and the risks UMEs pose; increased local engagement highlighting the issues through local contacts and social media; and worked with partners to identify and deter organisers. When the public have reported ongoing UMEs or those in the process of being set up, they have responded quickly with local officers and will continue to do so.
Apart from the August Bank holiday weekend, the number of UMEs has declined in recent weeks, including a significant reduction in the number of events that have escalated to the point where central public order assistance was required.

Sentencing for Attacks on Officers

Unmesh Desai: Attacks on police officers in London have risen. Do you believe that there should be tougher sentences for those that attack emergency service workers?

The Mayor: Police officers come to work every day to protect the public, prevent crime and bring offenders to justice. It is appalling that we have seen a rise in attacks on our officers.
The existing Assault on Emergency Workers legislation provided an increase in sentencing to 12 months, which was a welcome improvement from the six months maximum available through the offence of Assault on Police (s89 Police Act).
My Office for Policing and Crime has called upon the Government for a further uplift to two years, reflecting the seriousness with which assaults on emergency workers should be viewed. Attacks on police officers are never acceptable and will not be tolerated.

IPCC/IOPC investigations

Susan Hall: For each of the past five years, what is the average time of IPCC/IOPC investigations (From start to conclusion)?

The Mayor: Information on IOPC, previously IPCC, investigation timeliness is not held by MOPAC. Information is available on the IOPC website: https://policeconduct.gov.uk/who-we-are/accountability-and-performance

Police mental health

Susan Hall: Has the MPC considered the use of a counsellor messaging service as an option to complement existing mental health services for police officers?

The Mayor: The Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) has introduced an Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) through its Occupation Health provider Optima Health. The EAP gives access to 24/7 counselling and emotional support.
Services available include: Counselling, Legal Advice, Debt Advice, and a wellbeing online platform for all employees including a Health Risk Assessment.
Rather than using a counsellor text messaging service; the EAP includes direct telephone assessment by a counsellor followed by routing into an agreed counselling support pathway.

Single Crewing

Susan Hall: What is the current MPS policy on single crewing and is there any plan to change this?

The Mayor: The composition of vehicle crews is an operational decision for the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS).
The MPS has advised that there is no universal policy and that the decision is dynamically assessed by supervisors on a daily basis.
The decision will be influenced by factors such as time of day and week; type of operational duty being performed; information and intelligence; and the type of vehicle being used.
Some units will always deploy with two or more officers due to the operational requirements of their role, for example Armed Response Vehicles.
There are currently no plans to make any changes to this approach.

Tasers

Susan Hall: What is the current number of Tasers in the MPS and are there any plans to increase this number?

The Mayor: There are currently 5,020 Taser devices held by the MPS. This comprises 4,119 Taser X2s (current device) and 901 Taser X26’s (old device).
This number is set to rise temporarily by the end of 2020, when the MPS expects to purchase 723 Taser T7s (new, recently approved device) as a replacement for those units using the old X26 only. Following conversion to the T7, the Taser X26s will be disposed of, meaning that the overall number of Tasers held by the MPS will decrease slightly.

Prince Harry

Susan Hall: Does Prince Harry still receive police protection by the MPS?

If so, how much has this cost in total since he and his family moved abroad?

Note 1: Please include costs for both the Duke and Duchess of Sussex

Note 2: By costs, this means wages, overtime, expenses, travel, accommodation etc

The Mayor: The MPS will not give out protection details for security reasons, so can neither confirm nor deny the above.

Police Federation Feedback

Susan Hall: Will the MPS allow the Police Federation a comment section, similar to the Diversity Implications Section, on all new policy documents?

The Mayor: The Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) already has a process in place through which it consults and engages via a partnership framework agreement with trade unions, the Met Police Federation and police staff associations on policy changes.
Aspects of this consultation are required by law (with specific stakeholders and not others) whilst other aspects are undertaken as best practice to ensure that a range of views are considered.

Royal Albert Docks (3)

Unmesh Desai: In your response to Assembly Member Shah's question 2019/20599 in November last year, you stated that Phase One of the Royal Albert Docks scheme had completed in April 2019. How much of the 530,000 square feet of new office space has been let to date, and how much of it remains empty?

The Mayor: ABP have let circa 3000 square foot of floor space and circa 561,500 square foot remains unlet.

Royal Albert Docks (2)

Unmesh Desai: In your response to Assembly Member Shah's question 2019/20599 in November last year, you said you were discussing options for the delivery of phase 2 with the developer of the Royal Albert Docks scheme. Could you provide an update on those options and when delivery is expected to start and finish?

The Mayor: We do not currently have any dates from the developer ABP on when Phase 2 delivery is to start or finish.

Heathrow Airport

David Kurten: What measures are the Metropolitan Police taking to stop minicab touts from operating at Heathrow Airport Terminals?

The Mayor: The MPS tackles taxi touting at Heathrow Airport using overt and covert approaches. Working in partnership with the airport and local taxi marshals, Aviation Policing officers respond to information when a tout is reported to be operating within the airport footprint. Known offenders are circulated to officers via a daily briefing.
Offenders identified as committing offences are arrested or summonsed and prohibited from entering the airport footprint.
CID officers will conduct further investigations to identify previous offences committed by known repeat offenders.